August 2014

AstroAssembly 2014 is now just two months, but planning for our annual event began months ago. This year is a special one for us, as we will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of Seagrave Observatory.

Co-chairs Steve and Kathy Siok have put together a nice program of speakers and exhibits, and new for this year will be a morning poster session. Have you built your own telescope or observatory, made some interesting observations, or taken some nice photos? Then please consider exhibiting your work at the poster session. More information about our program this year can be found in this newsletter, or contact Steve and Kathy Siok.

The Trustees and members of the Observatory Committee have also been busy the last several months making improvements to our buildings and grounds. If you have been to a meeting recently, or attended a Saturday open house, you may have notice that the interior of our meeting hall is looking rather nice. A new ceiling was installed, the interior walls repainted, windows repaired, and new cabinets were installed at the back of the meeting hall. A special thanks to Tom Thibault for arranging the donation of those cabinets!

More work sessions are being planned for August and September, and any assistance will be greatly appreciated. The trustees will soon be announcing dates for work sessions. No special skills are required – we need help to repaint some of the buildings, clean telescopes, cut brush, and mow the lawn. We will provide pizza and cold drinks for lunch. Let’s work together to make Seagrave Observatory look great for its 100th birthday!

I have another special announcement to make concerning AstroAssembly, and a request to all of you.

Our youngest member, Alex Bergemann, who joined Skyscrapers at age 9, and is now 14 years old, has made a proposal to Skyscrapers concerning his Eagle Scout project for the Boy Scouts. That project, as outlined in his letter that I have attached below, is to build a deck and roof on the north end of our meeting hall, so that we will have a place to set up our grills at AstroAssembly. All of this work will be done by Alex and other Boy Scouts, with the guidance of some of their leaders. Plans have already been drawn up and approved by the Skyscrapers Board of Directors. Alex is now in the process of raising funds for the materials he will need, and has already raised more than half of the money he will need. If you would like make a contribution towards this project, please make your check out to Skyscrapers, and put “Eagle Scout Project” in the memo line.

Alex has been interested in astronomy and space exploration from a very young age, and frequently helps out at our public Saturday night observing sessions and star parties at other locations. On behalf of Skyscrapers, I wish to thank Alex for wanting to help out Skyscrapers as part of his Eagle Scout Project, and for all of his contributions to our organization.

Clear Skies,
Bob Horton

Alex Bergemann’s Eagle Scout Proposal:

I wish to build a 8x12 foot pavilion for a nonprofit organization called Skyscrapers Inc, the Amateur Astronomical Society of Rhode Island. They provide astronomy education to adults and children. Skyscrapers has been teaching me (now 14) since I was 9 years-old. Everything I know about astronomy I learned at Seagrave Observatory. I am now able to teach children just like myself and inspire them to go further in astronomy. I would like to repay Skyscrapers for everything they have done for me by giving them a covered shelter to house their grills during cookouts and other events without the hassle of setting up a tent.

Alex Bergemann